Balloons are in common usage for many purposes. Balloons are commonplace at parties, in sick rooms, as a form of greeting, or simply as a novelty item. Balloon bouquets are commonplace, as is the simple securement of a balloon to a stick, string, ribbon or the like. Presently, helium filled balloons are extremely popular because they remain constantly elevated at the end of a string or ribbon. Indeed, "Mylar" or foil balloons are now commonly used for such purposes because of their attractive nature and ability to seal against leakage of the helium gas contained therein.
Typically, helium filled balloons are maintained at one end of a string or ribbon which is held at the other by an individual such as a child. If the individual releases the string or ribbon, the balloon quickly escapes retrieval by ascending into the atmosphere. Whether the balloon is of the latex or "Mylar" type, such escape results in a loss of the balloon and a hazard to the environment, since neither are biodegradable. Additionally, "Mylar" and foil balloons are electrically conductive and, if they come into contact with electrical wires or the like, can cause electrical shorts, sparking, arcing, and the like. For this reason, some governmental agencies have imposed regulations which require that "Mylar" or foil balloons have a counterbalance weight at the end of the associated ribbon such that the balloon will not escape to the atmosphere in the event that the ribbon is released by the individual holding it. Such weight provides a counterbalance or ballast to the balloon which is sufficient to defeat the "lift" of the helium envelope defined by the "Mylar" or foil balloon. Accordingly, if the ribbon is released, the weight simply drops to the ground and remains there since the gravitational force upon the weight is greater than the lift of the helium envelope. Retrieval is then a simple matter.
Presently, the provision of balloon weights to prevent escapement of helium filled balloons is well known. Such balloon weights simply attached to the end of the string or ribbon of the balloon at an end opposite that of the balloon. However, tying of the string or ribbon to the weight has been found to be an extremely time consuming undertaking which often results in an unreliable securement of the weight. Previously know balloon weights have included a hole, slot, loop, or the like through which the end of the ribbon is to be passed and then tied. Not only is the same a time consuming operation which is quite objectionable at facilities where large volumes of balloons are commonly used, such as amusement parks and the like, but it has also been found that many operators are incapable of tying effective knots which do not loosen and separate through use and the passage of time. Indeed, when ribbons having slick or polished surfaces are employed, the knot routinely becomes untied as a consequence of the low coefficient of friction of the ribbon material itself.
It has further been observed that balloon weights of the past have also been complex in structure and costly to manufacture. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a balloon weight having a simple, yet reliable, clasp for securing the end of the balloon ribbon and which may be quickly and easily employed.